Live: UP Police says politicians fanning disharmony in Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar:6:45 pm: UP Home Secretary Kamal Saxena has claimed that the situation in the Western UP has improved on Monday. He added that the FIR has been registered and efforts are on to arrest the people involved in instigating violence in the area.

6:30 pm: Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary questioned the UP police that despite a complaint being filed against the BJP leaders, why haven't they been arrested.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to Akhilesh Yadav about steps being taken to restore peace in the violence-hit areas.

6:15 pm: Commenting on the situation in Muzaffarnagar, UP ADG Law and Order Arun Kumar said that the situation in the district has improved with no fresh incidents being reported on Monday. However, he added that the politicians are creating a situation of communal disharmony. Though he maintained that the police is under no pressure from the state government.

6:00 pm: Union Home Ministry has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send the report of the situation in Muzaffarnagar every after 12 hours. The ministry has also advised the state government to deploy more police forces in the rural areas to control the violence there.

5:00 pm: UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, under fire from the opposition parties for allegedly failing to control the riots in Muzaffarnagar, said that his rivals only know how to criticise. He said that maximum forces have been deployed in the riot-hit area and officials have been ordered to act tough against the those indulging in violence. Yadav said that he has spoken to the Prime Minister and the Governor and assured them that the state government will bring the situation under control.

Yadav said that he has spoken to the Prime Minister and the Governor and assured them that the state government will bring the situation under control.

3:13 pm: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav about steps being taken to restore peace in the areas which witnessed violence recently. He has assured Akhilesh that the Centre will extend all required assistance to the state government in tackling the situation. The Prime Minister has also condemned the violence in UP and expressed grief and shock over the loss of innocent lives.

3:10 pm: BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has claimed that the 4 BJP MLAs are innocent. "Action has been taken against some BJP workers. They are innocent. The administration is trying to hide its incompetence," Prasad said.

"Why are Shinde, Chidambaram, Manmohan, Digvijaya Singh, Sonia, Rahul silent on Uttar Pradesh? Not only UP, even the country is being subjected to double standards, as far as vote bank politics is concerned," Prasad said.

3:08 pm: BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was stopped from going to Muzaffarnagar, said, "Leaders from SP were allowed to make speeches in Muzaffarnagar, even when 144 was in place. Why such double standards? The SP government has failed to assure that their government belongs to everybody."

2:58 pm: The Home Ministry hasn't received the Governor's report on Muzzafarnagar riots yet, say sources.

2:32 pm: The death toll in the Muzaffarnagar clashes has gone up to 31.

2:15 pm: After being detained, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "We are going there with the message of peace, police stopped us from going there. Vote bank politics should be stopped," he said adding that action against 4 BJP MLAs is being taken under pressure. "Why is Home Minister is silent despite the Governor's report," Prasad questioned.

2:07 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary's latest report to Union Home Ministry says the death toll in Muzaffarnagar riots is 29. Out of the 29 deaths, 26 have taken place in Muzaffarnagar and three in other areas.

1:57 pm: BJP chief Rajnath SIngh has tweeted, "The situation in Muzzaffarnagar(UP) is now out of control. The track record of SP govt in containing communal violence has been dismal. It is high time for the Centre to intervene in Uttar Pradesh and dismiss the incumbent state govt."

1:45 pm: BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is set to leave for Muzaffarpur has said, "We will appeal to the people of Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas to maintain peace and harmony. Our objective is clear, we want peace. We will visit hospitals and meet the injured. We hope we will be allowed to go."

1:24 pm: BSP chief Mayawati alleged that both BJP and SP are responsible for Muzaffarnagar riots. "Can see the hands of BJP and SP behind this. Lok Sabha polls are near. Both parties want to give a communal colour to the polls. Both parties are together in this trying to play dirty politics," Mayawati said.

1:21 pm: "Have been asking the Governor to impose President rule. Governor became active only when the Home Ministry asked for a report," Mayawati said.

1:18 pm: BSP chief Mayawati has alleged that the Akhilesh government acted only after the situation got out of control in Muzaffarnagar. "Life for people of UP has become even more difficult under SP rule. The SP government is fully responsible for what happened in Muzaffarnagar and nearby districts," Mayawati said.

1:04 pm: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has claimed that he had warned UP CM Akhilesh Yadav about rising tension in Uttar Pradesh. "The number of cases of communal disturbances have increased in UP this year. I spoke to UP CM and told him tension is rising and arrangements need to be made. He said he would make arrangements," Shinde said.

12:59 pm: The CPM has blamed the BJP and RSS for Muzaffarnagar violence. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said, "The UPA government is committed to ensuring peace in UP and that there is no communal violence. Communal harmony must be maintained at all cost, restored at the earliest. The UPA government has zero tolerance towards communal violence. All those responsible irrespective of their political affiliation must be brought to book."

12:29 pm: RLD chief Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Singh have been stopped from entering Uttar Pradesh and were detained when they were on their way to Muzaffarnagar.

12:25 pm: The Uttar Pradesh government has submitted its report to MHA, which says no untoward incident has been reported since Sunday afternoon, MoS Home RPN Singh said. "Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is in touch with Akhilesh Yadav," Singh said.

"A lot of people have been asking for President's rule. It is unfortunate that UP has been rocked by communal violence but we wouldn't want to play politics. Whoever is responsible must be arrested, whether a politician or commoner," SIngh said.

12:04 pm: The Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate has said no politicians will be allowed to visit affected areas.

11:21 am: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has assured strict action against those responsible for Muzaffarnagar riots. "No leniency towards those disturbing peace. District officers have been given free hand to act as per the requirement to control situation," Akhilesh said.

11:12 am: "A case has been registered in connection with the organising of the Mahapanchayat. In the FIR, 40 have been named accused and 1,000 are unknown accused," ADG Arun Kumar said.

11:03 am: The Uttar Pradesh Police has said that no violence has been reported since 12 noon on Sunday. ADG Arun Kumar also said that one police station incharge has been suspended and replaced and that gun licences in three police stations have been cancelled.

10:57 am: The Uttar Pradesh Law and Order ADG, Arun Kumar, has said that the death toll has risen to 28 in Muzaffarnagar and that 35 more people have been arrested since Sunday, taking the total number of arrests to 90.

10:47 am: BJP MLA Hukum Singh, who has been booked for Muzaffarnagar riots, has denied making inflammatory statements. "This is totally the responsibility of Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav," Hukum Singh said.

10:35 am: A former Congress MP has also been named in the FIR in the Muzaffarnagar riots case.

10:00 am: Four BJP MLAs have been named in the FIR into the Muzaffarnagar riots. Top officials including the Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner SK Srivastava, DIG DC Mishra and Meerut IG Brijbhushan have been shunted out. Four IG-level officers have now been sent to Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat to control the situation.

9:10 am: The Uttar Pradesh IGP, law and order, RK Vishwakarma has said that the situation is Muzaffarnagar at present is normal but shoot at sight orders are in place. "We have ordered forces to open fire if required. Shoot at sight orders are in place. Anyone found burning houses, damaging property, killing anyone, he will be shot," he said.

"The Muzaffarnagar city is absolutely normal. Curfew imposed there as a preventive measure. Problem is the rural poc

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-why-are-pm-sonia-rahul-silent-on-muzaffarnagar-riots-asks-bjp/420534-37-64.html?utm_source=ref_articleket bordering Shyamli, Baghpat. This will have to be watched carefully. We're hoping things to get normalised there in a week," he added.

The bloody communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district have left 26 people dead. Uttar Pradesh Governor BL Joshi has pulled up the Akhilesh Yadav government and has singled out the local administration for failing to maintain peace in a report sent to the Home Ministry on Sunday night.

The UP Governor has also called for more police presence in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas. Schools and colleges are shut for the next three days. A curfew is on three police station zones in Muzaffarnagar with the Army carrying out flag marches in rural areas.

Meanwhile, politics is at play over the Muzzafarnagar riots. The Bharatiya Janata Party is sending a fact-finding team to visit Muzaffarnagar despite prohibitory orders by the Uttar Pradesh administration. The 3-member fact finding team of the BJP, headed by Ravi Shankar Prasad is headed to Muzzafarnagar.

The Akhilesh Yadav government in the state is under fire from the Opposition as well for the deteriorating law and order situation. The RLD and the BSP have demanded Akhilesh's resignation and have sought president's rule in the state.

Police say violence spread to villages making the situation tough to handle, but things are now under control. Along with the Army, the Rapid Action Force, Provincial Armed Constabulary and the state police are out on the streets and schools and colleges are shut for the next three days.

The police have named senior politicians in the FIR filed for attending the mahapanchayat held by a community. UP Home Secretary Kamal Saxena said fake videos about communal clashes are being circulated through social media to disturb the communal harmony in the state. "People are trying to spread rumours to disturb communal harmony through social media and using fake videos to disturb communal harmony in the state. Strict action will be taken against them," said Saxena.

On the state government's delay in response to the clashes, Saxena said that the clashes could not be controlled as it had spread to interior areas of the district.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is also in touch with Akhilesh Yadav to keep a close watch on the situation, Minister of State (Home) RPN Singh said. "The Home Minister himself has spoken to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The communal disharmony in the state is a problem and steps have to be taken to solve the crisis," RPN Singh.

Muslim clerics, meanwhile, have appealed for calm. They cautioned the people against "political conspiracies" aimed at dividing them on religious lines and appealed for peace and harmony in Uttar Pradesh.

"The Muzaffarnagar violence in condemnable.... For past few days, there were attempts to create tension in western UP.... The violence there is result of political game, which should be exposed," said All India Muslim Personal Law Board member Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli.

The clashes were sparked off after a huge convention of a particular community had gathered in the town on Sunday to protest against several cases of sexual harassment reported in the past couple of weeks.

According to local police some participants in this convention got into a fight with villagers on the outskirts of Muzaffarnagar. As this group got into town, some of those who had been beaten up started ransacking shops. IBN7 journalist Rajesh Verma was shot dead while he was covering the arson in Muzaffarnagar town.

Muzaffarnagar riots are not an isolated incident. As many as 22 districts across the state have been put under curfew at various times in the past one year.

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